Pepper Is an Advanced Robot That Can Develop Its Own Emotions

Even though many individuals have expressed their concerns regarding AI and robots recently, it looks like most people are more than ready to welcome robots into their lives as long as they look cute and friendly. One thousand units of Pepper, a human-like robot that was designed to “feel” emotions were sold in just a minute online even though each unit costs $1,600. The robot was designed by a France-based company named Aldebaran Robotics, which is a part of the SoftBank group. Once purchased, Pepper has a good chance to become a member of the family, and while it can’t exactly do the dishes or walk the dog, it can retrieve email, check the weather forecast and identify human emotions in order to react accordingly.

It is equipped with a series of sensors that are complemented by cloud-based artificial intelligence fragments. While most robots that boast similar functions cost a lot more, Pepper is actually quite affordable, and that’s largely because SoftBank and its partners are prepared to sell it at a loss for at least four years. However, CEO Masayoshi Son is confident that the little robot will contribute quite a lot to the corporation’s revenue over the next few decades, especially since these devices are expected to become as popular as smartphones and cars in the not so distant future.